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Mom Confessions

Mom Confessions > See Active Posts - Let's Talk!

Please explain BMI to me

Posted by Anonymous

29 Replies

Maybe I am dumb but I just don't understand BMI. According to webmd my son is obese. I have posted about this weight before but briefly he is almost 8, 4'3 and weighs 76lbs. He has always been a big boy (95th percentile since he was born). His Dr and I have discussed his weight many times and keep a close eye on it. He eats very well, hardly any candy, snacks, soda etc. he is very active and plays sports all year long. But anyways I don't believe he is obese. His belly is large and his face is chubby but his arms and legs are solid and a bit thick (for lack of a better word). When I think obese I think very large, multiple chins, etc..... (This is not a dig on anyone who is obese!) So how much truth does the bmi calculator hold? His bmi is 20.5 and I do know he is overweight so I am not saying he is thin at all. I will post more pictures in replies.

Posted by Anonymous on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:45 AM

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by Anonymous - Original Poster on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:45 AM

by Anonymous - Original Poster on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:46 AM

Hanab818

Platinum Member on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:49 AM

Bmi is unreliable. You need a fat percentage to be accurate. Muscle weighs more then fat so a person with small body fat and tons of muscles will weight more then they say and shows a high Bmi and will be told they are fat.

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by Anonymous on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:50 AM

I think you're taking the word "obese" and making it something its not. It's just a descriptive term that bmi calculators use. Do you like the word "thick" better? How about "chubby" or "chunky"? They all mean the same thing really.

Newmom8912

Gold Member on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:51 AM

I don't think he's obese

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DestinyHLewis

Silver Member on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:51 AM

Has he had his fat actually checked?

by Anonymous - Original Poster on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:52 AM

I would think chubby or thick would more point to overweight. Obese and overweight are 2 separate categories

Quoting Anonymous:

I think you're taking the word "obese" and making it something its not. It's just a descriptive term that bmi calculators use. Do you like the word "thick" better? How about "chubby" or "chunky"? They all mean the same thing really.

DestinyHLewis

Silver Member on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:52 AM

The problem is that when most of us think of obese we think of morbidly obese kids and people. You can be obese and not look obese in the sense we think of it. I call it skinny fat.

Kermitthemom23

Silver Member on Feb. 22, 2013 at 10:53 AM

There is a formula that they go by.
So far 2 of my kids get the obese qualification.
My dd is a bit chubby but we are on it.
My ds you can see ribs on the boy but he still is over.
Dh is also "obese" they dont take into effect that his upper arms are the size of my thighs.
I too am obese yet only 30 lbs overweight by my docs target #

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